steve trapero was born in santa ana, california. during his childhood years, his family didn't travel much, mostly keeping to the southern california area. then in his teen years he had the chance of living with his father, for about 2 years in santa cruz, bolivia. this experience would change his life forever and open his eyes to new and different cultures, that only the adventure of travel can offer anyone, at any age.

in the early stages of the printing press, and specifically the printing of mass produced books and magazines, thru drawings first, then later photographic images, people who couldn't afford to travel, could experience second hand the joy of traveling, of seeing new cultures, new things, and new places. these events made the world smaller. publications such as "life magazine" and "national geographic" are perfect examples of this.

the digital world has done the same thing, again! from digital photography, smart phones, google searches, and YouTube, a person can find, learn about, or see just about anything they're interested in, instantly!

the sci-fi film classic, "bladerunner" had an interesting aspect about memories, which related in that film to androids having false memories implanted by the genetic engineers who designed them, but were strangely supported partly by fake photos. these photos were precious to the "replicants" (as the androids were called in the film). they even risk their lives to retrieve some of these photos. what that film did for steve, was make him realize that we can long forget a memory, but when we see a photo of that event, we recall it in a split second, even the smells, textures, and emotions, that we experienced in that very moment.

although seeing it with your own eyes can be amazing. equally, seeing something thru a photographer's lens can be truly spectacular, and often even better! often a photographer has a different perspective on things, sees it from a different angle, in (literally) a different light, see relationships between shapes or colors in a shot, or create a composition no one else sees. they are able to bring out an aspect the viewer would never see on their own.

hopefully, this is the case with steve's work. hopefully you're taken to places you've never been to, or places you've been to, but seeing them in a fresh, new way… all over again! bon appetite!